the artisan post

14/06/2013

Bindle

I've known about Bindle for some time now thanks to the amount of Australian blogs that have fallen head over heels for them. But I was reminded again about them after the Blog Society launch on the weekend, as the goodie bag had a bindle card in it. So I looked further into the background of what a Bindle is and was delighted to read that Catherine, Bindle's director, carefully selects every part of each Bindle from local Australian creatives and artisans. How could I not share them on my blog when they support up & coming Australian artisans!!

Q. What is Bindle?

A. Bindle is an eco gift service that blends sustainability with style. Bindle engages local artisans to produce Australian, hand-made, tailored gift packages. There are Bindles for every occasion and every part of the creation is Australian - the products within them; the boxes that contain them; the hands that wrapped them.

Q. How did you come to start Bindle?

A. I faced an ever-recurring small nightmare of trying to find inspired gifts for friends and family for milestone occasions. A combination of local produce becoming less and less a feature in gift purchases, my creative impulses needing an airing, and in spying a niche in the market I decided to take the plunge and Bindle was born.

Q. What is your background and has that helped in the creation of Bindle?

A. I believe all experiences carve a path in some way, some more obvious than others. So I suppose my studies in Landscape Architecture takes the shape of creativity and relative roles in the IT world have contributed to the more practical side of business? Possibly clutching at straws here!

Q. Where did you find out about the local artisans work that are included in each Bindle?

A. I trawled markets, gourmet food delis, design stores and glued myself to the internet to find items that fit the shape and mold of the concepts i wanted to present. However, the stories behind the artisans work and the relationships i have built with individuals has been very significant in selection of different products.

Q. Why do you think it's important to support local artisans?

A. We are all witnessing the world becoming a lot smaller due to globalisation, and local producers suffering as a result. I am passionate about communicating and promoting the talented individuals at our doorstep. The personality and creativity they invest in different areas of trade bring life to gifts. It’s the inter-relationships that make each Bindle unique. The artisans, farmers, families, friends, and recipients. Each experience and exchange influences the final product both in a physical and in an attitudinal one.

Q. Who are 5 of your favorite current Australian artisans?

A. This is such a difficult question...

MelbourneRooftop Honey, Treehorn Design, Tufts ceramics, Full of Grace Granola, and Tinker Printink. Behind all of these beautiful products are amazing people with infectious enthusiasm.

Q. What are your top resources for inspiration on Australian design?

A. Design Blogs, markets, Design Made Trade, and visiting the artisans studio’s in person.

Q. What’s the style of your home interior?

A. Eclectic. Everything means something.

Q. Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?

A. In a welcoming home with lots of stories to tell, a herb garden, and giggling children at my feet.

13/06/2013

DIY Ceramic Beaded Necklace

Last week I wrote about a whole lot of ceramic beaded necklaces that were for sale at Sydney's Finders Keepers Markets (click here for my inspiration). I couldn't justify purchasing one of these necklaces without giving it a go first. So here is my attempt at creating my own ceramic beaded necklace. Follow the steps and you should end up in a similar position... pretty happy with my necklace which cost under $10 to make.

1. Gather your materials:

- polymer clay

- string/cord etc for threading the beads onto

- baking paper

- craft knife

- skewer

2. Lay some baking paper as a surface. Slice off 12mm squares of each colour you want. Above I have created the ombre effect by mixing parts of white with blue to create shades ranging from white to dark blue. The trick when mixing colours is to keep the amount of clay in each bead to the size of a 12mm square.

3. Roll your clay into balls. Do it fairly quickly as your hands will warm the clay up making the beads lose shape easily. Nb: If you are rolling a number of different coloured balls, wash your hands in between each colour to ensure colours don't spread.

4. Let the balls cool a bit, ensuring they keep their shape. Using your skewer, poke a hole through your balls large enough for your string/rope to thread through.

5. Once you have made all your beads, lay them out with baking paper on a baking tray and cook in the oven. Follow the cooking instructions on the clay wrapping. Mine advised 15min for every 6mm thickness at 130 degrees Celcius. Therefore cooking the beads for about 20-30mins.

6. Once the beads are cooked, let them cool then thread them onto your necklace string. Measure the length you desire, cut it and tie a knot.

Nb. For these three necklaces I spent less than $20 on materials at Spotlight and I still have left over clay and thread.

12/06/2013

Nigel Peake

Since receiving this book as a birthday gift in December, i've spent quite a number of hours admiring the work of illustrator Nigel Peake. The intricate line work and details that characterise his drawings create a fun and inspirational collection of pieces. Illustrations that appear often very simple are then understood to tell much deeper stories and adventures by the artist.

Deffs read it.

11/06/2013

Post Pins: 11.6.2013

More and more, pink is becoming a go-to wall colour for more than just little girls' bedrooms. What do you think? Would you use pink in other ways?

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

07/06/2013

Ceramic Beads

I've been on the hunt for a longish necklace that can be worn casually but also can be dressed up. At The Finders Keepers it was evident that ceramic beaded necklaces were in. And coincidentally I find that they meet my brief very well... The only problem is that I can't justify buying one of these necklaces because they look so easy to make. I have bought some polymer clay and will get on to making one this weekend hopefully! But for now... here is my inspiration.

06/06/2013

Hayden Youlley

Last Saturday I attended The Finders Keepers markets for the first time... I've been wanting to attend for a while but each time it has been in Sydney I've had something else on. Anyways, so the markets have a crazy amount of amazing artisans and creatives from across Australia. I've already blogged about some of the talent who showcased including McKean Studio and The Print Society and I'll fill you in on some more of my favourites in a while...

One stall I just couldn't walk away from was Hayden Youlley Design. Hayden studied design at COFA, majoring in ceramics and object design. Afterwards he continued studying ceramics at the University of Illinois. His design philosophy is about instilling pure enjoyment through the use of his products. His range of products features lighting, tableware and ornamental designs and can be found at these stores.

05/06/2013

Orient

The Orient pendant light was designed by Jo Hammerborg in 1963 for Danish lighting company Fog & Mørup. The light was one of Hammerborg's many design successes in the 60's and 70's. Today, 50 years have gone by since the first design of the Orient light. Company Lightyears has chosen to relaunch Orient in close collaboration with the Hammerborg family. The light has been resurrected completely true to the original design with the organic lines of the copper pendant and rosewood top.

04/06/2013

The Mod Collective

Eeeeh! I've been so excited about writing this post for so long and it's finally come together... Why, I hear you ask? No, i'm not a freak and I don't normally get googly-eyed and giddy excited about stuff... but I really am in love with The Mod Collective and when owner Valissa Butterworth said she'd be happy to be interviewed for the blog I was more than a bit ecstatic! The Mod Collective is the epitome of cool design. Valissa, a hard working Australian mum creates the most beautiful ceramic tableware and lighting.

The Mod Collective porcelain tableware is first conceptually developed using design software and then printed on 3D printers in various mediums. Pieces are then moulded and cast by hand by Valissa herself, using coloured porcelain. The insides of each piece are hand finished and glazed with a clear gloss glaze to make them food safe. The exterior of each piece is left unglazed, revealing the tactile and beautiful patterned surfaces.

Here's my short chat with Valissa!

Q. What is your background and have you always been interested in ceramics?

A. I was never really moved by ceramics. I studied Interior design initially before moving into horticulture and landscape design. I worked at that for a while and completed a diploma in ceramics at night. I was initially producing tiles but soon became immersed in coloured porcelain. The decision to undertake an arts degree was the point of no return, I had found an area that held so much potential for creativity.

Q. How did The Mod Collective begin?

A. I began the business while designing landscapes. I was producing modular 3 dimensional wall panels and tiles for use in the landscape sector. The highlight of this early phase was having my wall panels featured in last years gold medal Chelsea garden by Jim Fogarty for the Royal botanic gardens. It was a slow transition to table ware and lighting but that has now become the focus of the business.

Q. What made you want to start your own business?

A. Starting the business was a by product of my desire to design. When I started designing and producing I needed an identity and so the business emerged. It really kicked off though when I had number one child... I had to make it work or go back to work... There's no greater motivation than building a successful business based on your creative ability.

Q. Why the name 'The Mod Collective'?

A. Mod refers to "modular", this is a direct reference to my design collection. My computer generated designs are repetitions of a single pattern, the computer package interprets the pattern across a surface and the object is realised. The "collective" is a simple reflection of the collection of products I design and manufacture.

Q. What has been the hardest part to running your business?

A. Being a one person operation is difficult, I am the designer, maker, admin person, PR lady and on and on. Finding enough hours in the day is hard, especially with 2 little people in the house. It's a steep learning curve, often the hardest part is getting people to understand that I have limited resources, I cannot mass produce work, nor do I have any desire to. Each piece that leaves my studio is completely hand made by me.

Q. What has been your greatest career achievement so far?

A. Developing the tableware was a massive endeavour so the overwhelming response has been a huge highlight. I have really enjoyed the development of the new products i'm about to release though. I have been fortunate in that I'm collaborating with some very talented and experienced designers and makers. The results are stunning and I'm releasing these at Design Made Trade this year.
Seeing each new design come to fruition is something special, when it involves 3 other craftsmen though it's really quite something. I love that.

Having my work chosen in craft Victoria's Fresh awards is also very high on my list of achievements, this is a wonderful platform for emerging artists and I am very honoured to have been given that opportunity.

Q. Where do you hope to see yourself and The Mod Collective in 5 years?

A. I'm not a great forward planner so I'm not really sure about this. I'm looking at hiring a person to help me at present and I'm getting alot of overseas attention so I would say its all pointing to growing in the next 12 months so I can confidently expand into international stockists and continue to develop new works. I'm about to release 3 new lighting collections and a new tableware range so in order to be able to distribute the work I have no choice but to expand. Might need to seek out a good small business advisor too I suspect!

Q. Who/What inspires you?

A. Architecture and 3d design/modelling inspire me creatively. I also love the contemporary paintings of Francoise Nielly, among others.

Q. What does a typical day at work look like for you?

A. I have to wrangle 2 small people before anything gets done. I drive to the studio, have a coffee with my parents and hand over control of the 6 month old for a couple of hours. Day time hours are for production so I can be pouring, glazing, despatching, firing or all of the above. I have very limited time through the day so all of my emailing and paperwork gets done at night when the little peeps are sleeping.

Q. How do you find juggling kids and a business all at once?

A. Really really difficult! If I didn't have great support from family I wouldn't be able to continue.

Thanks so much for sharing Valissa!

03/06/2013

The Home-Journal

Head across to The Home-Journal today to see my article on Pantone's Colour of the Year: Emerald Green. I give some tips about how to use it in your homes!